


My lady, may I take a moment to compliment you on your daggers

by rydia



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regency, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Kinda, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies inspired, alternative universe, the rating on this fic is absolutely going to go up, they gonna bang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:00:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28777926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rydia/pseuds/rydia
Summary: Byleth meets his intrigued gaze. “You knew my father?”He shakes his head. “No. My own father hired him and his troop a few times to help with the monsters in our territory.” He pauses. “In Fraldarius.”Eyes widening slightly, Byleth turns back to look at the crowd again as she realises what that means. Fraldarius.She had not accompanied her father up north to Fraldarius, where he’d been hired by Duke Rodrigue. The Duke had fallen some time ago… two, three years previous? She’s not sure. There were always people dying, and too young heirs becoming heads of their houses. Fraldarius’ son is Duke now, she knows, right hand man to King Dimitri. This handsome, dark haired man must be him.And, oh, shit, she’s been ogling a Duke.A Felileth AU very loosely inspired by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, written for the FE3H AU Bang, with art by @ShadowSayl.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 5
Kudos: 55
Collections: The Three Houses AU Bang





	My lady, may I take a moment to compliment you on your daggers

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a rather self indulgent AU that I got the idea for after watching Pride and Prejudice and Zombies because I just like the idea of pretty people in fancy clothes with swords fighting beasties and being sexy together. 
> 
> Fic title is a line from the film, except they say pantaloons instead of daggers. 
> 
> The amazing art for this fic is done by [Sayl](https://twitter.com/ShadowSayl/) and you can see it [here](https://twitter.com/ShadowSayl/status/1350199060473540609)! Please appreciate those daggers. Sayl is also one of those wizards who is good at art and writing, and you can find her fics [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sayl/pseuds/Sayl). Go read them.

All of Fódlan might fall to demonic beasts, but Garreg Mach would still stand among the ruin.

The monastery is a refuge in the centre of a ravaged continent, untouched by the constant violence outside of its walls – walls that have stood strong for over a thousand years. 

_Yes_ , Byleth thinks. Even if there was nothing left beyond Garreg Mach but a charred wasteland and roaming demonic beasts, the monastery would remain, and Rhea would still deliver her solemn prayers to the devout. 

Here, for someone enclosed within these safe walls, it might even be difficult to imagine the outside world is one so beset with horror. 

Especially when there is a ball – rare as they are – and all the nobility turns out in their finest to dance and feast. 

This particular ball is a celebration. The leaders of the three countries of Fódlan have completed their successful talks at Garreg Mach, promising to work more closely together to defeat the scourge of the demonic beasts that plague the land. 

It’s all pointless talking, as far as Byleth is concerned. A lot of self congratulatory nobles patting themselves on the back like they’ve actually achieved something. 

None of them are out there actually battling the beasts, she’s sure. 

She eyes the crowd from her secluded spot at the edge of the ballroom. Their clothes are all fine and colourful, pressed and tailored. Some wear weapons, but Byleth’s expert eye can see at a distance that they’re all ceremonial. 

Useless, in other words. 

It is all infuriatingly civil, like there’s no fight going on outside, like countless people aren’t dying every day. Like the _land_ isn’t dying. 

Byleth hates that she has to be here. She’s not important enough to have been at the talks the last few days, despite her connection to Rhea, but Yuri had asked her to be present at this ball, leaving her with his clever smile and the words, “I’m sure you’ll hear something of interest.”

He hadn’t told her why he wouldn’t be here himself, but Yuri has always been one to keep his secrets. 

So here she is, loitering on the edge of the crowd, feeling irritated and out of place in an ill-fitting dress that Flayn had somehow managed to find for her. After all, Byleth is a mercenary, and not a noble – she has no need for dresses that restrict her movement.

She represses a sigh as she takes a sip of her wine, wondering if there’ll be food served at any point in the evening. 

As she gazes out at the crowd, Byleth’s eyes briefly meet that of a red-haired man chatting to a blonde woman not far away. His expression brightens, and he smiles at her, but Byleth ignores that and looks away

_Do not come over here._

She’s already had two excruciating conversations with strangers this evening, she doesn’t need another. What’s the point of small talk? 

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the red-haired man move.

_Do not come over here!_

Unfortunately, the man is oblivious to her thoughts and is clearly heading in her direction. Byleth keeps her gaze averted away from him, trying to see if there’s a way she can walk away without appearing to be snubbing him, but –

He’s standing in front of her, smiling widely.

“Wow! What’s a beautiful flower like you doing hiding away in the corner like this?”

Dismayed, Byleth realises this is going to be even worse than the other two painful conversations she’s had. She blinks at the man as he takes her gloved hand and lifts it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Sylvain Jose Gautier, at your service, my lady.” 

_Gautier_. Faerghus. Byleth is pretty sure this is Margrave Gautier’s heir. She’s heard rumours about him. He’s handsome, she supposes. If you like… _this_ kind of thing.

Smoothly, she pulls her hand away. “Not a lady,” she says, and looks out beyond him to the crowd again.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m not a lady.”

He laughs, like Byleth has just made the funniest joke, and she looks at his face again, frowning.

“You could have fooled me,” Sylvain says, still smiling. “A beauty like you, I thought, simply _must_ be a lady.”

Is he an idiot? “I’m wearing an out of style dress that doesn’t fit me properly,” she replies, bluntly, quickly growing unwilling to play the civility game with this noble. She’d told Seteth she’d be polite, but she knows he’ll forgive her for being rude to a man such as this. All she has to do is say “ _But what if he’d spoken to Flayn like that?_ ” and Seteth would nod, understanding. “I’m obviously not a lady,” she tells the noble, “so spare me your lines. I’m a mercenary.” 

Sylvain’s eyebrows raise, and the smile drops off his face for just a second before it returns. Byleth thinks it looks forced. 

“Wow, okay–“

“Sylvain!” Another voice interrupts him. It’s the blonde woman Sylvain had been speaking to before. “Is he bothering you?” she asks Byleth.

“Oh. Well…” Byleth is surprised by the question, but she doesn’t get a chance to properly answer before another man appears beside Sylvain, dressed as impeccably as the rest of them but with his dark hair tied up in a messy bun that’s at odds with the rest of his appearance.

Sharp eyes the colour of her favourite whiskey are looking at her. “You’re a mercenary? Why are you here?” 

Whether it’s his biting tone, or the question, or just her general fatigue at everything this evening – whatever it is, this makes Byleth bristle. “Is there a problem with a commoner being here who’s not serving you a drink?”

His brows furrow, and his scowl deepens as he regards her. “ _What_?”

A smattering of applause as the musicians finish a song has Sylvain and the blonde woman turning and applauding too, like the good nobles they are. But the dark haired man keeps scowling at Byleth, who glares back.

The musicians begin another song, slower and more sedate than the previous one. 

The woman turns back to Byleth, gaze darting between her and Felix. “I apologise for my friends,” she says sincerely. 

Byleth shakes her head. “It’s fine,” she says brusquely, hoping that they’ll all go away and leave her alone.

“What did I do?” The dark haired man complains, but Sylvain speaks over him.

“Hey, beautiful mercenary lady – do you want to dance?” Sylvain holds out his hand with a flourish.

“No.” 

She should probably try to be more polite but Sylvain only laughs at her rejection and turns to the blonde woman instead. “Ouch. Well then, my dear Ingrid, how about you? Will you dance with your old friend Sylvain?”

Ingrid sighs but accepts his hand, shrugging lightly at Byleth as she lets Sylvain lead her to the dance floor. 

Byleth thinks that will be the end of it, that the other man will leave too, but he stays, also watching his friends for a moment before he says, out of nowhere, “Dancing is stupid.”

Byleth, surprised, says nothing. She doesn’t really agree – dancing can be fun, but she doesn’t like this kind of stuffy, noble dancing, and she doesn’t really know the steps anyway.

Instead, subtly as she can, she takes in the dark haired man. He’s also clearly from Faerghus – he has the look of a man who grew up in a cold climate. And he’s wearing a weapon. Two, in fact. And they’re both real, she’s sure. Nothing ceremonial about them. He’s not as tall or as broad as Sylvain, but is clearly strong and powerful underneath his fancy clothes.

He’s just as handsome as his friend, but in a different way. More handsome actually, she thinks. As Byleth’s eyes trail down over his body, she finds he’s handsome in a way she rather likes, and with a flicker of embarrassment, she turns her gaze forward again, looking at anything but him.

“What’s your name?” he asks after a moment, still not looking at her. His voice still has that biting, demanding tone, and for the life of her, Byleth does not understand why he’s still here, making conversation with her.

Briefly, she considers just walking away herself. But she doesn’t. Instead, she answers, in as brusque a tone as he’d asked, “Byleth Eisner.”

He starts slightly at that and turns to look at her more fully. “Are you related to Jeralt Eisner? The Blade Breaker?”

Byleth meets his intrigued gaze. “You knew my father?”

He shakes his head. “No. My own father hired him and his troop a few times to help with the monsters in our territory.” He pauses. “In Fraldarius.”

Eyes widening slightly, Byleth turns back to look at the crowd again as she realises what that means. _Fraldarius_. 

She had not accompanied her father up north to Fraldarius, where he’d been hired by Duke Rodrigue. The Duke had fallen some time ago… two, three years previous? She’s not sure. There were always people dying, and too young heirs becoming heads of their houses. Fraldarius’ son is Duke now, she knows, right hand man to King Dimitri. This handsome, dark haired man must be him.

And, oh, shit, she’s been ogling a _Duke_. 

When she doesn’t reply, the man shifts, looking uncomfortable. “My name is Felix Fraldarius.”

“You’re the Duke?”

“I… am,” he replies, looking even more uncomfortable. “Look–“ Something beyond her catches his attention and his eyes narrow. Before Byleth can react, he’s grabbed her wrist and is pulling her towards the dance floor. “Dance with me,” he demands, not asks.

The only reason Byleth doesn’t break out of his hold is because she has had etiquette hammered into her head by Seteth about how to act with the nobles. She could easily break this man’s wrist but unfortunately, that might cause a diplomatic incident.

So she waits until Felix stops and turns, placing one hand awkwardly on her waist and holding the other properly before she steps into his space and quietly asks him in a dangerous tone, “ _What_ do you think you’re doing?”

He looks unabashed. “I need to ask you something, and the boar was heading my way. I didn’t want to be interrupted. Put your hand on my shoulder.” 

“No.” She doesn’t ask, and nor does she care, who _the_ _boar_ is. “You can’t just drag someone across the room and expect them to dance with you.” 

He scowls. “Stop being difficult–“

“Stop ordering me around.” 

They glare at each other for a moment, the two of them standing still in the middle of a swirl of dancers. “Can you even fight?” Felix eventually asks. 

“Of course I can,” Byleth replies, offended. “You’re lucky I let you get away with manhandling me.”

“Why did you?” His chin tilts up, a challenge in his voice.

Byleth is scornful. “Why do you think, _Duke_?”

His expression twists into something pained, but Byleth doesn’t have time to analyse it because suddenly Yuri is at Felix’s side, like he’s appeared out of thin air.

“Excuse me for interrupting,” he says in a tone that’s not at all apologetic, “but I require Miss Eisner’s assistance elsewhere.”

She feels the grip on her hand tighten. “We’re dancing,” Felix mutters.

“Are you?” Yuri raises an eyebrow at him. “You don’t look like it.” He turns back to Byleth. “This is urgent. It’s about Hapi.”

She’s immediately tense. “What is it?” 

Yuri’s eyes slide briefly back to Felix. “Elsewhere, my friend.”

Byleth nods, understanding that he doesn’t want to speak in front of a stranger. “Let me go,” she says to the Duke.

But he doesn’t. “What’s going on? Is someone in danger?”

“Nothing to concern yourself with, your Grace,” Yuri replies smoothly, but Byleth knows him well enough to see that he’s stressed. 

Not wanting to waste any more time, she snaps her hand out of Felix’s grip and steps back. “Let’s go,” she says to Yuri, before hurrying away through the crowd, Yuri at her back.

They quickly make their way to one of the side entrances to the ballroom, and there, she pauses briefly and turns back, seeing that Felix has moved to the edge of the dance floor and is watching them leave. A jolt runs through her as their eyes meet, his expression inscrutable, before Yuri urgently says her name again and she turns away, turning her thoughts to Hapi and whatever disaster is happening down in Abyss.

***

Felix isn’t sure what compels him to follow Byleth. He doesn’t know her. She’d just been a convenient excuse to avoid Dimitri. 

Maybe he’s a little intrigued by her. He’d met her father, and been impressed by the man who had led the most capable team of mercenaries Felix has ever seen, and helped his own father clear out an infestation of monsters that had been plaguing their territory.

Byleth had said she was a mercenary, like her father, but Felix can’t quite picture it. He’d like to see her with a sword in her hand. Or a spear, if she fights like her father. It’s what he’d wanted to ask her – if she’d spar with him in the training grounds. 

As he leaves the ballroom, Felix tells himself he just wants to get away from the crowd – and balls are stuffy, pointless wastes of times.

But really, there is absolutely no logical reason for Felix to follow Byleth and her strange friend out of the ballroom and through the dark halls of Garreg Mach, and he knows it.

He follows her anyway.

His steps on the stone paths of the monastery are quick and silent, and he’s careful to keep a careful distance between him and his quarry. 

Felix has spent years hunting demonic beasts, after all. He’s learned how to track and follow them silently. 

Both Byleth and her companion move swiftly, heads close together as they converse in hushed voices with words he can’t quite catch. He’s almost certain they don’t notice him – or perhaps they’re just ignoring him if they do.

The moonlight catches Byleth’s hair, and Felix’s eyes drop to the swaying of her hips in her dress. 

He’s slightly distracted when they abruptly turn a corner not far from the training grounds, and he speeds up, frowning at himself for getting preoccupied. 

Rounding the corner, at first Felix thinks it’s a dead end and he comes to an abrupt halt as he peers into the darkness in front of him. It’s an alleyway that leads to a high stone wall. There are several crates and barrels scattered along the path – this little spot is clearly good for storage. But there’s no reason for anyone to come here, not so late at night.

But Byleth and her friend had come here, so there has to be something.

Felix narrows his eyes and steps slowly forward, eyes scanning the darkness, ears straining for any kind of sound.

It takes him a moment to see it – a subtle difference in the darkness of one corner. Taking each step carefully – half expecting an ambush or trap – he moves closer.

But all remains quiet, and Felix realises this is where Byleth and Yuri must have disappeared to – right into this dark hole in the wall of the monastery. 

He doesn’t even think of returning to the ball and asking Sylvain or Ingrid or Dimitri to investigate this place with him. No, while he might be dressed in slightly uncomfortable and restrictive formalwear, he still has his swords. 

And he’s used to working alone. 

He steps inside, bracing himself, but is surprised to find the darkness soon gives way to a passage lit by several oil lamps, and he realises that despite how it looks from the outside, this is a well used path. He follows it to find a set of worn stone steps, leading down. 

Without pausing, he descends.

.

It’s not long before the roar of a demonic beast shakes the walls around him.

Swearing, Felix hurries down the steps, preparing himself for a fight even as he questions just _how_ there are demonic beasts so far underground. There’s another growl as he reaches the bottom and finds a long hallway, lit with braziers. 

At the end of it, he spies Byleth, standing her back to him. As he hurries towards her, Felix sees that she’s holding a sword. 

She turns sharply as he calls out in a low voice to her, not looking pleased to see him.

“What are you doing here?” she asks as she grabs his arm, hauling him to the side. Beyond her, the tunnel opens out, leading to steps going down to a large cavern. Felix spies three… no, four demonic beasts prowling the area. How did they get here, right under Garreg Mach?

He drags his eyes back to Byleth, who still has a hard expression on her face. “I followed you,” he tells her. 

“Why?”

Good question, Felix thinks, a little sourly. He decides to avoid answering. “Where is your friend?”

Byleth’s lips thin as she glances out over the beasts again. “Busy.”

Despite how many questions Felix has, there’s really only one that’s important right now. “And he expects you to battle these beasts alone?” 

There’s a disbelieving note in his face, and Byleth clearly hears it. The irritation he’d seen at the ball comes back in full force. “These are a distraction,” she snaps. “One I can handle.”

Felix can’t help but have a flicker of doubt at that. But all he says is, “I’ll help.” How could he not? He’s glad he followed her now, at least. This – slaying beasts – he understands. 

She watches as he unsheathes a sword, giving a rough nod in response to him. And then Byleth turns her attention to herself, bending over and using her own sword to slice a cut through the hem of her dress. Grabbing the edge of each torn side, Byleth rips the skirt of the dress right up, almost to her hip.

It almost seems like time slows down as she does it, and Felix can’t help but watch as more and more of her leg is revealed. Firstly there’s the boot; a knee high boot that looks more suitable to wear hunting than at a ball. He can see there’s a dagger carefully tucked into the top of it. 

And then the dress keeps pulling back and there’s stockings and her thighs and – his mouth goes dry – another dagger strapped to her thigh. 

Arousal burns low in his belly, and as one of the beasts in the cavern beyond growls again, Felix knows this is the worst possible time to be turned on.

He clears his throat. “How many daggers are you carrying?”

“That’s hardly an appropriate question to ask a lady,” Byleth responds, arch.

Felix scoffs. “I thought you weren’t a _lady_.”

She shrugs and the movement makes Felix suddenly uncomfortably aware of how low cut her dress is. He averts his eyes, looking beyond her. 

His thoughts need to be on the beasts, not breasts.

“You have two swords.” She snorts. “How many daggers are _you_ carrying?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Felix mutters. The answer is four.

“Hm.” Byleth steps up beside him, and Felix can feel her gaze scorching down his body, like she’s trying to pick out where each of his daggers might be hidden. He glares at the beasts in the cavern below, feeling his ears burn.

“We need to focus,” he snaps, annoyed at her and himself. 

With an irritated huff, Byleth turns to face into the cavern too. “You’re the one who started asking silly questions.” She turns away, but Felix still feels hot. “I do hope you know how to use those swords, Your Grace. I’m not going to babysit you.”

He bristles, and starts to reply to say something similar back to her, but Byleth is already moving, crouched low and sword ready and he bites back his words. Instead, he unsheathes his second sword and follows her, preparing himself mentally for the upcoming battle. 

He’s impressed by how silently Byleth moves, and he joins her behind a stack of crates at the foot of the stairs, closer to the demonic beasts. 

She eyes him with an unfathomable expression. “Two swords?”

“Problem?” Felix narrows his eyes at her.

She blinks and glances away from him, cheeks darkening slightly. “No.” 

“Good,” he responds with a scoff, assuming she thinks everyone from Faerghus fights with a lance like Dimitri does. Carefully, he inches over to the edge of the crates they’re crouched behind, trying to form a plan for dealing with the beasts, when a slight touch on his arm sends a jolt through him. 

Turning sharply, he sees Byleth quickly withdraw her hand, flexing her fingers. “Wait,” she murmurs.

“Wh–“

The question he’s about to ask dies on his lips as a commotion starts up across the cavern – a bang and then some smoke, but there doesn’t appear to be a fire – causing the beasts to growl and stamp their feet. 

“A distraction,” Byleth states evenly, making Felix turn back to look at her. “From Yuri.” 

“Is he here?”

She shakes her head. “He’s needed elsewhere.”

Felix has so many questions – and so many suspicions. That there are demonic beasts prowling under the monastery, right at the same time that the leaders of the continent take part in historic talks right above has to mean something.

He’s sure there’s going to be _politics_ to deal with because of this.

But first things first – “How do you want to handle them?”

Save for the raising of one eyebrow, Byleth’s expression doesn’t change. But there’s something in her eyes; a challenge, a fire, and that leaves him intrigued. 

“How do you think?” is all she says, and then she’s off, vaulting over the crates in a limber move that surprises Felix.

But not for long. He rounds the crates to join her, seeing that she’s going after one of the smaller beasts first, who are still distracted and facing away from them. Felix goes for another beast, flanking it and getting a deep slice into the side of its belly before it shrieks with rage and turns on him. 

It’s not long before he’s dodging the claws of multiple beasts, blasting off a Thoron spell to get them to back off slightly. 

He keeps an awareness of Byleth the whole time – as he always does with anyone he’s fighting with, ready to step in to defend them should they be reckless and their skills not be up for the task. 

But Byleth is obviously more than capable. She’s fast and strong, and her dress swirls around her as she moves, graceful as a trained dancer. Her strikes are precise and deadly. It’s clear she’s far more skilled with a sword than Felix could ever have imagined, and well accustomed to dealing with demonic beasts. He’d been hasty of him to assume otherwise.

Watching her move… it’s a much more enthralling form of dancing than had been going on up in the Garreg Mach ballroom.

Unfortunately he doesn’t have the time right now to really pay attention to her moves, but Felix swears to himself he’s going to get her to spar with him as soon as possible. She’s obviously a worthy opponent for him.

For now, though, he focuses on his own swords, always keeping an awareness of Byleth’s location as he does so. His own steps are quick, if not quicker than hers – after all, he’d begrudgingly taken dancing lessons to improve his dexterity, and his dancing instructor had demanded as much perfection as his sword trainer. 

It had been worth the teasing from Sylvain to be able to move like this.

Nimbly, Felix sidesteps a rushing beast and pivots to stab it in the side, his arm being wrenched slightly as it catches in the flesh of the beast. But the cut goes deep, and dark red-brown blood spills out, splashing him as the beast lets out a roar and stumbles. 

It doesn’t take him long to finish it off, and Felix shakes his arm in the hope it’ll shake away the ache and catches sight of Byleth facing off against the two remaining beasts. Some distance away, the fourth beast lies dead.

He wastes no time, pushing aside his aches and rushing forward to deflect a blow meant for her. 

Their eyes meet, and she gives a brief nod in thanks before the beasts are on them again.

It’s remarkable how well they move and fight together, despite not knowing each other. It’s another point in her favour, as far as Felix is concerned. Another mark of her skill, and he’s truly forced to revise his initial opinions of her, especially when she pulls him back from being gored by the horn of one of the beasts just as he’s regaining his balance from after an attack.

His own favour to her returned, he thinks grimly, a little annoyed at himself. 

They fight on, sometimes brushing against each other as they fight back to back, but they wear the beasts down slowly. After breaking the armour on the beast with the dangerous horn they’ve been careful to avoid, it goes down quickly. With their attention focused on the last beast, it doesn’t take them long before that lies dead at their feet too.

There’s a sudden silence in the aftermath of the battle; even though he and Byleth are breathing heavily, the quiet is noticeable after the roaring and growling of the beasts. 

Felix rolls his shoulders and grimaces when he looks down at his stained clothes. 

“Are you hurt?”

He glances up to find Byleth watching him intently, her gaze scanning across his body. He looks away before their eyes can meet. 

“No,” he replies, mostly truthful. He can handle a little ache.

An awkward silence descends after his short answer. Felix sheathes his sword and then fiddles with his gloves, wondering why she had been easier to be around when they’d been fighting together. 

“Are _you_ hurt?” he asks eventually, in a rather gruff manner. He knows she isn’t. Her dress is torn and stained, but it’s clearly monster blood. And there’s no hint of pain or strain in her posture. 

“I’m fine. Are you coming with me to Abyss?”

He frowns. “Abyss?”

She lets out a little disbelieving laugh. “I can’t believe you followed us here, and you don’t even know about Abyss.”

“So tell me,” he snaps, annoyed. 

She shakes her head. “Just follow me.” 

Without another word, Byleth turns and runs into a narrow tunnel just off the large cavern they’re standing in. 

Felix is beyond annoyed as he hurries to catch up with her. “Tell me what’s going on. Why are there beasts here? Why did your friend not help you fight them?”

Without breaking stride, Byleth turns down another tunnel and responds, “Because he’s helping out another of our friends.”

“Wh–“ The words die on Felix’s lips as they step out into another large cavern, even larger than the previous one. He’s looking at what he can only describe as a _town_. Here. Underground.

“This is Abyss,” Byleth says simply, approaching the armed men standing at the perimeter of the town and directing her next words at them. “Is Yuri back?”

The response is a negative one, and Felix can see the looks of concern passing between the men and Byleth. He also sees the suspicious glances being directed his way, but nothing is said to him directly. When Byleth tells them that she and Felix have taken care of the demonic beasts prowling around, the suspicion seems to ease a little.

Felix remains silent throughout the entire conversation, wondering how an entire _town_ seems to exist under Garreg Mach and he hadn’t known. Does Dimitri know? The Archbishop?

Why does Byleth know about it? A commoner, a mercenary?

He bites back his impatience as Byleth speaks to the guards, but he’s going to need answers soon.

When she finally finishes talking, Byleth jerks her head at Felix, indicating that he should follow her again. She leads him through the town, where scared faces peer out from doorways, and then down more tunnels, before she turns into a large, comfortable room and shutting the door behind them. 

Her lips are drawn in a tight, thin line.

“Have you heard,” she begins in a hard voice, “of Those Who Slither in the Dark?”

“ _Who_?” Felix is baffled by the question.

Byleth sighs and leans her sword against the wall. She stares at nothing for a moment before turning back to Felix. 

“So that’s a _no_.”

“Those Who Slither in the Dark?” Felix repeats, incredulous. What kind of name is that?

“I know, it’s a ridiculous name, but I didn’t come up with it,” she murmurs, smoothing her hand down her dress, and adjusting the dagger strapped to her thigh. Felix can’t help but watch the movement. Byleth straightens up, crossing her arms just under her chest, and Felix has to look away from her again, diverting his thoughts away from her body.

“Shouldn’t you change your clothes?” He doesn’t mean to say it so rudely, but that’s how it comes out.

Byleth glances down with a frown. “I suppose this dress is ruined. I hope Flayn won’t mind.”

 _Flayn_. That name is familiar. Felix thinks back… and remembers a young woman with hair the similar colour as the Archbishop – a similar colour to Byleth’s hair. 

“Flayn? Isn’t she the Archbishop’s…” What was it again? Niece? Cousin? 

Byleth waves a hand dismissively. “Family. She got me this dress.” 

“Why is she getting you a dress? What’s the Archbishop to you?” He’s becoming very aware that there’s a lot going on around him that he’s unaware of, and that really annoys him. 

“It’s not important,” Byleth says, a flash of anger in her eyes. “What’s important is that Yuri isn’t here, and neither is Hapi.” 

He wishes she’d stop saying names that are completely unfamiliar to him. “You need to tell me something about what’s going on.” He pauses, and continues on, slightly softer. “I’ll help, if I can.”

She nods, but her anger doesn’t disappear. “Yuri runs Abyss. He keeps the people here safe.” Felix opens his mouth to ask a question, but Byleth raises a hand, stopping him. “Let me talk. You can ask questions when I’m done.”

He tries not to bristle at her words, he truly does, but he doesn’t entirely succeed. She sounds so much like the strict tutors he’d had growing up. 

But he manages to remain silent, and Byleth continues talking.

“I first met Yuri when he hired my father, a few years ago, and we’ve worked together since. He–“ Byleth hesitates for a moment, seeming to consider her words. “Abyss is a place for people who have no where else to go. Everyone here has lost something, or someone. Maybe they lost everything. So many of them came here with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Yuri keeps them safe. I wanted to help him do that, and we became friends.” 

Felix wants to ask _why_ , but he refrains. He’s glad Byleth isn’t looking at him. Her gaze is distant and far away, and it allows him to study her without her knowing. 

He wonders if she’s lost something.

“Yuri…” Byleth delicately pauses. “Yuri is good at finding out secrets. He uses them to his advantage – and to keep his people safe. A few months ago he found out a secret that brought him to the attention of Those Who Slither in the Dark.”

Once more Felix remains quiet, and he thinks that’s rather big of him, considering just how ridiculous that name is.

Byleth takes a deep breath. “Yuri believes that these people – Those Who Slither in the Dark – have created the demonic monsters. This plague we live under is their fault.”

Felix’s highbrows raise high. _That_ , he had not been expecting. Everyone has their theories for where the monsters came from, and why they keep coming, no matter how many of them are slaughtered. It’s almost certain that they’re magical in nature, but studies of the beasts haven’t yielded many answers. 

“Why would someone do that?” 

She doesn’t seem to mind the question, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “Some kind of ancient war with the Church, apparently.”

Felix presses his fingers to his temples, sure he can feel a headache coming on. “This sounds like a ridiculous conspiracy.”

Byleth’s gaze finds his. Her eyes are wide and tired. “I wish. I have a friend in Abyss called Hapi. She found refuge here after escaping from people who performed magical experiments on her.”

A chill runs through Felix at her words. 

Byleth keeps talking, and he finds he can’t look away from her. “I know how this is going to sound, but trust me – I’ve seen it happen. Whenever Hapi sighs, demonic beasts appear. Without fail. Every time.”

Felix wants to say _that’s impossible_ or _that’s ridiculous_ , but the words stick in his throat, because Byleth’s expression tells him that every word she’s saying is true. 

And he believes her.

“Hapi… something’s happened to her,” he whispers.

“Yuri said there were dark mages. They summoned monsters in the tunnels and went after Hapi. He was torn between protecting Abyss and protecting his friend. And now I don’t know where either of them are.” 

“So we need to find them.” Felix focuses on that – on something he can help with. The idea of dark mages summoning all the beasts… well, that’s something to think more on later. 

Byleth’s gaze sharpens. “We?”

“I said I’d help if I could. I can help with that.”

“Yuri doesn’t trust you.”

He scoffs. “I’ve never met Yuri before tonight. He doesn’t _know_ me.”

“He doesn’t trust any of you. Whoever is making these beasts is powerful. Who’s to say it isn’t the King of Faerghus?”

Felix stares at her. “Have you _been_ to Faerghus recently?” His voice shakes in anger. How could anyone think Dimitri is responsible for the plague of beasts? Felix might have his own issues with Dimitri and the anger the man holds inside himself, but Byleth’s suggestion is preposterous. She steps back, surprised by Felix’s sudden surge of emotion. “Have you seen the people starving to death because the fields have been pillaged by beasts? Have you seen the orphanages full of children? The dying, empty lands?” He shakes his head. 

Out of the three countries, Faerghus is the weakest in so many ways. Leicester has more gold to protect its people. Adrestia has a warmer climate and a larger army. Faerghus has cold, long winters, poor harvests, and the neighbouring country of Sreng to the north constantly attacking their border. Dimitri would do anything to help his people. The mere thought that he could be in any way responsible for the beasts and the damage they’ve done… it’s nonsensical.

Byleth stares at him, mouth turned downwards in a sorrowful expression. “No,” she says softly. “I haven’t seen any of that.” A pause. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse your king. I just meant that Yuri feels he cannot go to any of the rulers of Fódlan. If he makes a mistake, it’s the people of Abyss who will suffer.”

Felix lets out a long breath. He can understand that, at least. 

Byleth continues. “Anyway, I don’t think you or your king is involved with Those Who Slither in the Dark. I’d never have told you anything if I thought you were.”

“Fine,” he snaps, trying to let go of his anger, knowing it’s misplaced. “Look, I said I’d help you find your friend. Could they still be in Abyss?”

“Perhaps,” she murmurs. “But it’s like a labyrinth down here. It’s easy to get lost. I feel like only Yuri knows the whole layout.”

“How many exits do you know of?” 

“Two. The one we came in by, and then another that leads out to a forest at the base of the monastery.” Byleth nods like she’s come to a decision. “That’s as good a place to start as any, I suppose. Are you sure you’re up for helping, your Grace?”

“Of course I am. And don’t call me that. My name is Felix.” He’s been Duke Fraldarius for a couple of years now, but the title still sits uneasily on Felix’s shoulders. It was his father’s title. It should have been Glenn’s. Instead it’s his. The last of his family. 

Byleth is looking at him curiously and Felix covers up whatever expression had been on his face with a scowl. “Seems improper,” she murmurs with a tilt of her head.

His scowl deepens. “Do you want me to call you _my lady_?” He’d seen her reaction when Sylvain had called her that and he gets a similar one now, a cutting look that tells of her displeasure. 

“No. Byleth is fine.” She picks up her sword. “Well. _Felix_. Let’s go.”

.

As Byleth leads him back out of the town and then through a maze of stairs and tunnels, Felix realises how true her words had been. This is indeed a labyrinth. He’s grateful that Byleth is sure in her movements, obviously confident that she’s going the right way. To him, each tunnel looks the same. It’s easy to imagine dying down here, lost forever in a tunnel where no one will find his body. 

They move quickly, remaining silent until Felix voices a thought that suddenly occurs to him. “Does the Archbishop know of Abyss?”

“Of course,” Byleth responds immediately, like the answer should have been obvious. 

“And she allows it?” Felix has spoken only briefly with Archbishop Rhea, who always talks with a serene lilt to her voice, but he’s heard the steel underneath it, especially when she’d spoken about the scourge of the demonic beasts, and how they must be eradicated. He’s heard rumours that she was a formidable warrior once, and he can see it in how she holds her. 

Felix is not at all a religious man, only begrudgingly attending services when he has to, because it’s unfortunately sometimes expected of a Duke from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. He’s not at all sure what to make of the Archbishop. At least, not beyond knowing that she isn’t someone he’d like as an enemy.

“I believe there is an agreement, between the Church and Abyss,” Byleth sounds disinterested in the conversation. 

“And there’s no way she could be involved with… Those Who Slither in the Dark.” _Such_ a stupid name.

“Rhea hates the beasts. Even you have to have seen that.” Byleth sounds very certain, and not for the first time Felix questions if she’s more than what she says – this mercenary who talks like she knows the Archbishop, and gets gifts from members of the Archbishop’s family.

But he doesn’t voice his thoughts, even though he can’t help but wonder why Yuri hasn’t gone to the Archbishop for help. He’s sure there’s an answer for it, reasons for distrust and suspicion, but he’s never been good at this side of things – at untangling the knots of politics and diplomacy to make things smooth. Dimitri is far better at that, and Sylvain. Felix will take all this to them once they’ve saved Byleth’s friend and, if Yuri is right about everything, there might actually be a flicker of hope at ending this scourge of beasts. 

.

Byleth has turned them down a tunnel that looks like countless others when she suddenly stops.

“We’re near the entrance,” she murmurs, frowning. Her hand twitches towards the sword that’s now hanging from a belt around her waist. 

Felix can’t figure out what her problem is, but as he steps up beside her he suddenly feels it – the pulse of magic. 

Their eyes meet, and a sense of grim determination settles between them.

Wordlessly they begin moving again, and now Felix can sense that they’re close to an exit – the air is fresher, a slight breeze disturbing the stale air of the tunnels.

The feel of magic grows stronger, and they pause as they reach the entrance to the tunnel, where brick and stone give way to a dirt path, and they pass through a few feet of absolute darkness before they come out on the other side, and Felix finds himself looking out into a thick forest. A bright moon hangs in the sky above them, but the foliage is so heavy, the forest remains dark.

There are shouts, and the whizz of magic somewhere ahead. 

Byleth doesn’t stop moving, her sword now in hand as they press forward through the trees, silent and swift.

It doesn’t take them long before they come across a clearing, and they hang back behind a tree to take in the situation.

There’s what looks like a trading caravan ahead of them, but there’s no horse attached to it, and there’s a body on the ground nearby. The driver, possibly. 

Standing by the caravan are two hooded mages, and they’re slinging dark magic at the purple haired man who’d appeared at the ball earlier. He appears to be injured, holding his side as he tries to get close enough with his sword to attack. 

“Yuri,” Byleth breathes, and then she’s off, just as she had been with the demonic beasts. All Felix can do is follow. He knows that they’ve arrived just in time to save Yuri. 

The mages, now outnumbered, don’t stand a chance. It’s not difficult for Felix to sidestep an attack and get a killing strike on one of them. The mage topples to the ground. Not far away, Byleth kills the other one. 

Yuri is already climbing into the back of the caravan. He doesn’t spare a glance for the dead mages or the driver. 

“She’s here,” he calls out.

Byleth lets out a sigh of relief, and Felix hangs back as she joins Yuri. Instead he decides to keep watch, just in case more enemies appear.

But the clearing and forest beyond remains quiet, bathed in moonlight. Above them, he hears the hoot of an owl on the hunt. 

It’s deceptively peaceful, Felix knows. He doesn’t lower his guard, only glancing back at the caravan when Yuri and Byleth emerge.

Byleth is holding a woman with red hair in her arms. This must be Hapi. 

“Is she alright?” Felix asks, uncertain. 

“I believe so,” Yuri answers. “Possibly just a sleeping spell to make it easy to transport her.” He looks down at Hapi, concern evident. “But we should get her to a healer immediately, just in case.” He pauses, raising his eyes to look at Felix, expression smoothing over into something inscrutable. “Thank you for your help, Your Grace. You may leave us.”

Felix scoffs. “I’m coming with you.”

Yuri’s brows pucker. “That’s not–“

“If he wants to come, let him,” Byleth interrupts, settling Hapi better in her arms and fixing Yuri with a hard look. “He helped us.”

Felix watches as the two seem to have a silent conversation before Yuri shrugs. “Very well, my friend. I know better than to argue with you. And if you vouch for the Duke…”

“I do.” Byleth says this matter-of-factly and then starts walking back in the direction they came. 

With one final look at Felix, Yuri does the same. It’s a look that says to Felix he’d better be worthy of Byleth’s trust. 

***

The journey back to Abyss is done mostly in silence. Yuri quickly tells her that Constance and Balthus split off from him in their search for Hapi, and that he hopes they’ve returned to Abyss by now.

But aside from that he says little about what’s happened tonight, and Byleth knows that’s because Yuri doesn’t trust Felix and doesn’t want to talk in front of him, and Felix… well, he doesn’t seem like a man to fill silences needlessly. 

He takes up the rear of their group, and Byleth just knows he’s keeping watch for any potential threats. She’s grateful for that. It allows her to keep an eye on both Hapi and Yuri – the latter of whom is trying very hard to act like he’s not hurt. The sooner they get back to Abyss the better.

And Felix… Byleth is not entirely sure what to make of him. He’s not what she expected from one of the most important people in Faerghus. Felix certainly doesn’t act like how she thought a Duke would. 

And he’d helped her when he didn’t have to. She’s a stranger to him – Abyss is nothing to him – and he’d still helped without asking for anything. 

Byleth isn’t sure why she told him so much. She’s not in the habit of spilling secrets, and she knows Yuri won’t like that she told him about Those Who Slither in the Dark. 

But they need help. Yuri can’t do everything on his own. 

And Felix will help, she’s sure. They can trust him.

It’s strange to be so certain of a man she’s just met, especially when he hadn’t made a great first impression.

And it’s not because he’s handsome, or good with a sword, even though he is both of those things. Byleth isn’t as shallow as that, or so easily swayed.

But maybe it’s how he’d reacted when he’d thought she was accusing King Dimitri of being responsible for the monsters. The way he’d spoken left her in no doubt that Felix _has_ seen the people of his country starve and suffer, and been helpless to stop it.

Her thoughts are filled with him the entire way back to Abyss. 

She turns to him as they reach the edge of the town. “Felix, can you find your way back to the room we were in earlier? I need to get these two to the healer.”

Felix glances around the town.

“Go down this path and turn left–“

“I remember,” he interrupts curtly. 

Byleth shifts Hapi’s weight in her arms. She’s going to be so annoyed about all this when she wakes up. She especially won’t like that she was carried back to Abyss like a swooning maiden in Byleth’s arms. 

But that’s alright. Byleth’s just glad she’ll be here to get annoyed about it. 

“Alright. I won’t be long. Will you wait for me there?” His eyes widen at her words, and she suddenly feels embarrassed. “Us,” she amends. “Wait for us. I’m sure you want to talk to your King, but–“

“I’ll wait for you,” Felix interrupts her again, but Byleth doesn’t mind. In fact, she’s a little relieved. She rather suspects she was beginning to ramble and she doesn’t do that. She doesn’t ramble or get flustered by anyone, not even Dukes.

She can feel Yuri’s eyes boring into her, and she’s sure he’ll have something to say about this once Felix is out of earshot. 

And Felix, well, he – this man who had used two swords at once with more grace and finesse than Byleth has ever seen – actually blushes, and she turns away, hurrying towards the healer before Yuri can see that she’s blushing too. 


End file.
